Suction brush having removable brush units for cleaning venetian blinds



Sept 22, 1953 A c. ToMANlcA 2,652,583

SUCTION BRU'SH HAVING REMOVABLE BRUSH UNITS FOR CLEANING VENETIAN BLINDS Filed May 29, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet l Andrew C. Tomanim INVENTOR.

Sept 22, 1953 A. c.l ToMANlcA 2,652,583

sUcTIoN BRUSH HAVING REHOVABLE BRUSH UNITS FOR CLEANING VENETIAN BLINDS Filed May 29, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig 5 Andrew C. Toma/:im

.INVENTQK www Patented Sept. 22, 1953 OFFICE SUC'IION BRUSH HAVING REMOVABLE BRUSH UNITS FOR CLEANING VENE- TIAN BLINDS Andrew C. Tomanica, Lansing, Mich.

Application May 29, 1950, Serial No. 164,986

3 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements and structural brushes for cleaning slats of Venetian blinds, and the principal object of the invention is to facilitate convenient and expeditious cleaning of Venetian blind slats by employing a suction brush which, in the nature of an attachment, may be used in combination with a conventional vacuum cleaner.

Some of the advantages of the invention reside in its simplicity of construction, in the interchangeability of its brush units, in its efficient and expeditious operation, and in its adaptability to economical manufacture.

With the above more important objects and features in View, and such other objects and features as may become apparent as this specification proceeds, the invention consists essentially of the arrangement and construction of parts as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a side elevational view of the invention;

Figure 2 is a front end view thereof;

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional View, taken substantially'in the plane of the line 3 3 in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a group perspective view showing one section of the housing and one of the brush units;

Figure 5 is a longitudinal sectional View, taken substantially in the plane of the line 5-5 in Figure 2;

Figure 6 is a group elevational view, similar to that shown in Figure l, but illustrating the hous- 1 ing sections and brush units separated;

Figure 7 is a transverse sectional View, taken substantially in the plane of the line l-I in Figure 5, and;

Figure 8 is a perspective view of a modified brush unit used in the invention.

Like characters of reference are employed to designate like parts in the specification and throughout the several views.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail, and more particularly to Figures 1 7 inclusive, the invention consists of a suction brush for cleaning Venetian blind slats, which suction brush is designated generally by the reference character I0 and embodies in its con- I struction an elongated housing I2 which is provided with a transverse recess I4, open at the sides and iront thereof, as is best illustrated in Figures 1 and 2.

The housing I2 is composed of upper and lower complemental sections I6, I8 respectively, the upper section I6 being equipped with a substantially tubular adapter 20 which is recessed as at 22 to accommodate a substantially semicylindrical portion 24 of the lower housing section I8.

The portions 20, 24 of the respective sections I6, I8 are provided with complemental screw threads 26 to accommodate an externally screw threaded collar 28, whereby the two sections oi the housing are separably held together. This is illustrated in Figures 1 and 5, and it is to be noted that when the collar 28 is in position and sustaining the housing sections together, the portion 2E! of the section I6 projects outwardly from the collar and is thereby adapted for connection tothe suction hose of a conventional vacuum cleaner, as indicated at 36.

` In addition, a pair of upwardly projecting lugs 32 are secured to and project upwardly from opposite sides of the lower section I8 so as to embrace the upper section and prevent any possible lateral displacement or shifting of one section relative to the other.

Horizontally elongated upper and lower brush units 34, 36, are positioned in the respective upper and lower sections I6, I8 of the housing I2, these brush units having opposing, contacting sets of bristles 38, respectively, which are preferably complementally concave and convex so as to conform to the cross section of a conventional, concavo-convex Venetian blind slat.

The brush members 36, 34 are elongated and are provided at one end thereof with a pair of projecting prongs 42 which are adapted to engage a pair of hook-shaped detents 44 provided in each of the housing sections I 6, I8, while the remaining end portions of the brush members are equipped at the opposite sides thereof with wedge shaped protuberances 46 which are engageable with complemental recesses or notches 48 proH vided in upstandings posts 50 with which the housing sections I6, I8 are also equipped. By virtue of this arrangement the brush units 34, 36 are removably retained in position in their respective housing sections, so that they may be expeditiously removed and replaced by simply separating the housing sections after removal of the retaining sleeve 28. It is to be understood that the posts 50 are suiciently resilient so that they may be sprung apart to facilitate placing of the keepers 46 in the notches 43 while the brush units are being installed.

Finally, with respect to the modified embodiment of the brush unit which is illustrated in Figure 8 and designated generally by the reference character 52, this brush unit is similar to the units 34, 3B, already described, With the exception that the bristles 54 of the brush unit 52 are substantially flat for cleaning at Venetian blind slats.

It is believed that the advantages and use of the invention will bexclearly understood from the foregoing disclosure, and'accordingly, further description thereof at this point is deemed unnecessary.

While in the foregoing there has been shown and described the preferred embodiment Yoi? this invention, it is to be understood that minor changes in the details of construction and arrangement of parts may be resorted to :Without departing from the spirit and vscope of the invention as claimed.

Having described the claimed as new is:

1. A suction-brush for cleaning Venetian blind slats comprising-a housing `.provided withia transverse-recess open-at vthe sides `.and .front thereof, means on said housing for connecting said suction brush to source of suction, said .housing including upper and lower complemental sections, means .for separablyconnecting said sections, upper fand lower :brush units positioned in the respective upper and lower sections of said housing, said recess providing a passageway for flow .of air lpast said` brush units,.said brush units having opposed sets of bristles disposed in said recess `for engagement with relatively opposite sides of .a slat, iirst and -second 'pairs of detents in opposite cend .portions of `each ,of said sections, each of the iirstpairsof /detents having opposing surfaces thereof provided with grooves parallel to the longitudinal axis of said housing, a pair of opposing yhooks provided on each of said second pair of detents, pairs of prongs projecting longitudinally from-one end of each oi-said brush units, said prongs slidably engaging said hooks, and pairs of keepers provided on each of said brush units, said keepers being slidably disposed in said grooves.

.2. A suction brush for cleaning Venetian blind slats comprising ya housing provided with a transverse recess open at the sides and front thereof, -means -on said housing for connecting said suction brush to a source of suction, said housing including upper and lower complemental sections, means for separably connecting said invention, what is 4 sections, upper and lower brush units positioned in the respective upper and lower sections of said housing, said recess providing a passageway for ow of air past said brush units, said brush units having opposed sets of bristles disposed in said recess for engagement with relatively opposite sides of a slat, the opposing sets of bristles of said brush Vunits Qbeing complementally convex and concave to :conform to 'the cross-section of a convexo-concave slat, rst and second pairs of detents in opposite end portions of each of said sections, each of the first pairs of detents having opposing surfaces thereof provided with grooves parallel ;to .theilongitudinal axis of said housing, a pair of `opposing hooks provided on each of said v'second pair of detents, pairs of prongs projecting longitudinally from one end of each of said 'brush units, said prongs slidably engaging said hooks, and pairs of keepers provided on each of said brush units, said keepers being slidably disposed in said grooves.

-3. In .a suction brush Afor cleaning lVenetian blind slats, the combination which includes: a housing including upper and lower complemental sections provided with a transverse recess open at the sides and front thereof and together forming a tubular `portion at the rear thereof; -lugs upon one o'f the said complemental sections extending to engage opposite sides o'f the other section to prevent lateral shifting thereof; tubular means slidab'le over said tubular portion o'i said housing clamping said complemental sections together, said tubular .portion providing a connection for said housing vto a source of suction; and upper and lower brush units positioned peripherally about -said vtransverse recess and in said upper and lower sections of said housing, the bristles of said brush units being complementally concave and convex to conform to the cross section of a convexe-concave slat with the said bristles of said brush unit in substantial contact with each other.

ANDREW C. TOMANICA.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED vSTN-ISES YPATENTS Number Name D'ate 1,137,916 Simmons May 4, 1915 1,735,802 Statuto Nov. '12, 1929 2,207,320 Jones July 9, 1940 2,487,444 Ines Nov. 8, A1949 

